Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-21
5.pAyrsr AND cA1IroRNrAN FLORA

semblance of the Indian and japanese bear
to each other is accounted for in this man
ner. | have been much interested in this
subject; others who care to learn concern
ing it can find much in c. W. Brooks
article in the Erening Bulletin of March
,, 1875; also in the Mikado's Empire"
Under a cloudless sky to Toyohashi, on
the broad Togo river, with burning sun
which made me grateful to my umbrella,
gave little but rice fields to amuse me.
INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP.
MARCH 26TH.-Over a very rough road
to-day to the hamlet of Shinio, where we
went aboard little steamer to cross the
Bay of Hamana. This bay was lake I'M
til 1899, when an earthquake broke down
the barrier which separated it from the
sea, and thus changed its character. 1t is
lovely little bit of water, but not so little
that the steamer crosses it in short time,
and one needs good amount of patience.
But | helped the little vessel along by
spreading my umbrella to the wind. We
were-or at least | was-greatly disap-
pointed when, upon at last leaving the
steamer, we were transferred to Japan
csc towboat and dragged drearily along for
several miles further to Hamamatsu. The
cabin of the boat was but three feet high,
and Of course all the passengers sat upon
the matted floor and smoked.
Among the passengers was husband
and wife and their child of about three
years of age; he was tall enough to bump
his head upon the roof beams of the cabin,
and could talk well, so | suppose he was
fully that old, yet this youngster did not
disdain to draw sustenance from natures
fount Il am told that children six years
old take mothers milk, and then to my
great amusement he turned to his father,
and taking that good mans cigarette had
several whifls, as if to show attention to
both sides of the house. / have never
before seen milk and tobacco taken by a
three-year-old, but the show helped to pass
the weary hours.
JAPAN Is NOT RICH IN BIRDS,
But this afternoon saw many of the little
yellow and brown birds such as we have
at home and many white-collared spar
rows. Grows are over-abundant, hawks
and eagles are daily seen and the beauti-
ful, graceful heron and stork, which occur
so often in native pictures, are often adding
their stately forms to some pretty land
scape.
The Ten-sin river, which l crossed by a
bridge nearly 1000 feet long, is the largest
river of the Yokaido and comes from Full
Tama. ! am glad to be again under the
influence of Full; it was my first love in
Japan, and | have always greeted the
glorious mountain from sea or shore with
special thrill of pleasure.
THE FESTIVAL OF DOLLS.
MARCH 27th.-In crossing the Oigawa,
the river which divides Totomi from
Surnga, | noticed long baskets of strong
bamboo filled with large stones and laid
close together along the banks, as pro-
lection even stronger than stone wall.
A toll bridge crosses the river. 1t is the
festival of dolls, and in every house as |
pass | can see range of shelves, where
rows of dolls are placed with flowers and
sweetmeats before them. The principal
dolls represent the Mikado and the En-
press in ancient court dress Il can imagine
what guys" they would be if dressed in
the court costume of to-day, and gods and
heroes of japanese story; also the little
waxen baby dolls we know so well. Many
Of these dolls are very old, and are treas
ured in families for generations, but only
brought out on this festival. Every girl
has two dolls given her when she is in her
first year. As she keeps those for life and
each of her daughters has pair, the show
at some of the houses is quite elaborate
One little girl met had tiny bottle of
sake, which she told me was for the dolls.
AN ORIENTAL BICYCLE CRAZE.
There seems to be a bicycle epidemic in
the towns along the road. | counted up to
one hundred, and after that saw many more.
Hundreds of the old style and WORKOUT
| veloclpedes have been sent here from
America, and bring about five gen each.
Mr.. Stevens stopped at this hotel, where !
am, on his bicycle tour round the world,
and the youth of Shidznoka have caught
the fever, and they Will have hard time
of it with the rusty affairs which have been
sent them.
To-day my old friends from home,
whom l met here, were golden mustard
wasp with sting, and house-hy-
while this evening / hear mosquitoes at
the shoji, buzzing as they used to outside
the nets at the Golden Eagle, when 1 was
little boy spending my first night in Sac
ramento.
In the city is most magnificent wall
and broad moat, which formerly sur
rounded the castle of the Daimio. Some
distance from here is the public garden
which was once the grounds of temple
The temples still stand, and, indeed, are
equal to those of Nikko in beauty, though
their number is less. The glorious clouds
Of pink and white fruit-fowers in these
gardens, showing out in most perfect love
illness against the evergreen-coyered hill.
sides, the variegated camellia and bridal
wreath, gave an idea of the wealth of ma
ture in this land
The sun had just gone down as stood
upon the hill; to the right lay fields O.
barley of vivid green and then waves O
misty hills. To the left sight too granc
for words; the lower part of Full of
purple color blended withsthe mists, {
cloud was upon its summit. below which
the streaks of snow in the canyons reached
out like fingers or rays from star. TIL,
cloud was golden or shining and the snow
streaks of crimson. | looked till the las
tints faded away and then | waited ever
longer for the white peak shown in tn,
starlight.
| have grown to like the custom of re
moving Tue SnOeS on entering house, /
gives such complete rest. | shall neve
again endure wearing heavy shoes all day
since | have learned the delight of movin.
ones toes about as freely as the fingers.
RIVER AND MOUNTAIN.
MARCH 2Sth.-Crossing the Fugi river
not by the bridge but on foot over the dry
part of the bed, and by ferry across tn,
two swift streams which flow near tn,
center, was exciting and exceedingly in
teresting. The river is the swiftest il
Japan, and as the fiat boats were Cult,
lose from cable or any contrivance, bu
depended entirely upon the bending BAN
boo poles held by the two men to keel
them from going pell-mell over the rapids
the struggle between muscle and water
power was worth seeing.
From here and the Yoshiwara villag,
the view of the famous mountain is tn,
best to be had, as it stands, without obstruc
ton, in one clean sweep, up from the has,
to summit, wonderful in its symmetry
The wind had blown away the snow from
the most prominent idges, and the Who'll,
upper part streaked with snow and rocl
reminded me of Mount Shasta.
PACK MEN VS.. HORSES.
Tonight | lie at Mishima in the com